


We are Are All Fools in Love

by semperpugnandi



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, if lenas silent pining energy doesn't exude mr darcy energy idk what does, lena luthor is the finest mr darcy you will ever encounter no cap, pride and prejudice au, wanted to write this for such a long time and i'm so happy i finally got to write it for a friend!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28397157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/semperpugnandi/pseuds/semperpugnandi
Summary: “That’s Mrs. Samantha Arias of Netherfield and her best friend Miss Lena Luthor of Pemberley. Eve believes Miss Luthor is searching for a suitable match for herself and her brother.”"She looks miserable.""Watch your tongue, Kara. Her family owns half of Derbyshire.""The miserable half?"or a Supercorp Pride and Prejudice AU
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 27
Kudos: 444
Collections: Supercorp Content Creators' Guild Secret Santa Exchange 2020





	We are Are All Fools in Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spacemanearthgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacemanearthgirl/gifts).



> Long hiatus there, but I had to stop in and drop this piece I wrote for the ever lovely spacemanearthgirl. Merry Christmas, Jess!! You have superior taste in movies and I'm glad I could pressure you into watching this one even more ;)
> 
> (Also, I truly have watched Pride and Prejudice five times in the past four days to "research" for this fic. I understand I could have just skipped to the scenes I needed, but Kiera Knightley disagreed.)

“Who?”

Alexandra Danvers sighed and grasped her sister’s hand, pulling her to the side of the road. “Mr. Arias. He just arrived at Netherfield with his wife and a friend,” she explained to Kara patiently before tugging her back in motion to head towards the ball. “It’s important we make a good impression. If the rumors are true, his friend could be the answer to all of our problems.”

“How so?” Kara furrowed her eyebrows and stared in dismay at her sister, who ignored the question.

“His name is Mr. Luthor. I’ve heard he’s a recluse and hardly ever leaves his estate, Pemberley,” Alex informed her dutifully as they held hands and made their way up to the Meryton Assembly. “The fact that he may be making an appearance is an opportunity. Ten thousand a year. Kara? Are you listening to me?”

Alex snapped her fingers in front of Kara’s face, and Kara blinked startled, pulling herself out of her deep thoughts. Why Meryton, she was thinking. Why now?

“To find a wife,” Alex answered, rolling her eyes as her sister realized she had asked her question out loud. “Pay attention, Kara. I know it’s not ideal, but with Father at war, any day now we could receive a letter that puts us on the street. One of us needs to marry well enough to take care of Mother.”

“Father hasn’t died,” Kara shot back as she folded her arms, and Alex sighed before she pulled Kara into a tight hug.

“I know,” she conceded, guilt filling her voice. “I know; it's horrible for me to talk as such. I just worry. Your cousin is next in line for our estate, and we don’t know what that means for us. With ten thousand a year though…”

“We would all be taken care of,” Kara filled in, pouting slightly. After a moment, she grumbled, “I wish we were ten years old again, making pacts to never marry.”

Alex was silent for a long moment before she reached over and squeezed her sister’s upper arm slightly.

“Me too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, but it was enough to acknowledge the consistent fear running through both women who had avoided the advances of most men throughout their lives. 

They were desperate now. And desperate women didn’t often find nice men.

The room was hot as they entered, and Kara patiently followed Alex to where the girls from town were talking in the back of the room. A few couples were out on the dance floor, but Kara was already forming her plan to avoid joining them for the entire night. She lingered behind her sister, absentmindedly taking in her conversation with the other girls. Alex remained mostly silent, providing her level headed input where needed, but mostly she pretended to be interested in the village gossip.

Kara shifted on her feet and ignored her urge to back out of the ball already. Instead her eyes scanned the crowd for her friend Winn. Perhaps she would entertain the idea of a dance should he be her partner.

As she took in everyone, Kara noticed the room become noticeably quiet in a few short moments. Kara felt Alex inhale sharply beside her, and her eyes flitted to the front of the room where everyone seemed to be staring.

There, at the entrance, stood two regal women. One with a mischievous smile and inviting aura around her; the other with a deep set frown and disinterest radiating off of every centimeter of her.

“That’s Mrs. Samantha Arias of Netherfield and her best friend Miss Lena Luthor of Pemberley. Eve believes Miss Luthor is searching for a suitable match for herself and her brother,” Alex whispered in her eye, and Kara hummed absently.

“She looks miserable,” Kara commented after a moment, her eyes never leaving the woman with a pale face and dark hair. Miss Luthor’s eyes seemed to pierce through the crowd to the wall, so she wouldn’t have to acknowledge anyone at all. It was almost tangible how out of place Lena Luthor looked in this Meryton Assembly.

Punching her sister’s side, Alex chided, “Watch your tongue, Kara. Her family owns half of Derbyshire.” 

“The miserable half?” Kara quipped, and Alex had to bite her cheek to contain her amusement as she sent a warning glare back at her sister. She heard Eve giggle behind her.

“Come,” Eve then gestured, grabbing both sisters’ arms. “I’ll introduce you.”

The music restarted as the two women reached the other end of the room and began to speak with Eve’s father. Weaving in and out of the dancing crowd, Eve managed to lead both of the sisters over to her father and the two guests of honor promptly. As they stopped in front of the group, Mrs. Arias’ eyebrow quirked slightly, taking interest in the women in front of her, but Miss Luthor held onto her cold demeanor.

“Miss Luthor. Mrs. Arias,” Eve’s father began, taking his daughter’s cue. “You’ve met my daughter, Eve. These are her companions, Miss Alexandra Danvers and Miss Kara Danvers.” Dutifully, Alex and Kara bowed and nodded as they were introduced, eager to make a good impression on the women.

“Welcome to Hartfordshire, Mrs. Arias,” Alex then greeted sincerely, and the woman’s smile widened.

Taking a small step forward, Samantha greeted, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Danvers.”

“If there’s anything you need during your stay here, my sister and I reside near Netherfield at Longbourn,” Alex then offered.

Raising her eyebrows, Samantha nodded at this and then smirked. “Actually, there is something I could use your assistance with, Miss Danvers,” she disclosed and Alex’s eyes widened in anticipation. “I do wish to dance this evening, but I don’t want to cause a scene dancing with a man other than my husband. Would you do me the honor instead?”

Kara blinked in surprise at the woman’s offer, and Miss Luthor seemed rather displeased by it. Alex sputtered for a moment before nodding and letting an eager smile take over her lips. In an instant, Mrs. Arias was dragging her new partner away. Eve’s father’s attention was taken by another guest of the ball, and Eve herself was invited to dance with one of the eligible men in town.

Kara found herself standing alone with Lena Luthor quicker than she could process.

Neither said anything to each other for a long while. Kara kept glancing over at her, wondering if her expression would change at all, but the woman seemed determined to remain dispassionate.

“Do you dance, Miss Luthor?” Kara finally asked, unable to handle the silence passing between them.

Lena glanced over at her warily, before looking away again and pressing her lips together. “Not if I can help it,” she murmured.

Kara stared at her for a moment, trying to decide what to make of her response. Eventually, she decided to walk away. It was clear the woman wanted to be left alone.

Spotting Winn from across the room, Kara sighed dismayed, noting he was already dancing with Siobhan. Alex would chide her on the way home, but Kara decided she had already had enough of the ball for the evening. Glancing towards her sister, who seemed to be enjoying herself dancing with the heiress, Kara found a glass of wine and retreated to her favorite quiet spot under the seating in the ballroom. She sat down and leaned back against the wall, slowly sipping her wine.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed before she heard low voices coming from near her hiding spot. Kara froze, hoping no one would find her. She strained her eyes and eventually recognized the voices of Mrs. Arias and Miss Luthor.

“The women here are quite beautiful, don’t you think?” she heard Samantha questioned, and Kara found herself holding her breath so as to not alert the women to her presence. “The men surely have a better pick than back in Derbyshire.”

“I quite disagree,” Lena replied stiffly, upturning her nose and glancing around them. “The women seem merely adequate.”

Kara bit back a scoff as Samantha nudged Lena and narrowed her eyes. “Really? Is there not one woman here that would suit your brother?” The woman sounded like she was teasing Lena, but it was a joke Kara was not privy to. Her mind was too busy racing to confirm what Alex and Eve had suspected. “What about the Danvers sister?” Samantha pushed as her friend jutted her jaw out in exasperation. “The blonde one. She was pretty.”

The two women seemed to be in a standoff, and Kara stiffened. If Alexander Luthor set his sights on Kara, all of their problems would be solved. She would be the family hero. Still, it wasn’t enough to fight the dread in her stomach. Selfish as it was, Kara didn’t wish to have anything to do with Mr. Luthor.

“I would hardly call her pretty,” Lena finally answered in a soft voice. Her tone wasn’t giving anything away, but Kara felt her skin crawl at her response. It took everything in her not to tell this horrid, self-important woman off to her face, but she knew Alex would have her head if she found out. Before she could hear any more of the conversation, Kara stormed off, not caring whether or not the two heiresses would notice her leaving or not.

When she spotted her sister across the dance floor speaking with some of the women from town, Kara immediately headed towards her dodging in and out of people and hoping her face didn’t look as red as it felt.

“Kara! Have you- What happened?” Alex inquired, her face immediately downturning at her sister’s expression.

“It’s nothing,” she tried to brush off, forcing a smile on her face, but her sister knew her too well, and within a moment, the conversation she overheard was spilling out of her mouth.

“She said _what_ ,” Alex demanded protectively, her eyes immediately darting around the room for the woman in question.

“Alex, stop. It doesn’t matter; I don’t care,” Kara insisted, pulling her sister backwards and pleading with her.

Alex looked as if she wanted to protest again, but she paused and sighed. “Are you sure?”

Nodding vigorously, Kara shrugged. “I told you she was miserable.”

Alex studied her sister for a moment before she relented. Interweaving her arm with Kara’s, she began to lead her towards the door. “Come. Let’s retire for the night. We don’t need Luthors or ten thousand pounds in our lives,” she stated firmly, and Kara guiltily bit her cheek. Maybe she was ruining their chances at saving their estate. “Mother will want to hear all about our night when we return. Wait until I tell her I danced with the wife of someone with five thousand a year.”

It was settled. Kara finally let the relief take over her as she allowed her sister to lead her out of the ball.

Kara usually enjoyed her yearly visit to her cousin’s parsonage. Clark was a most agreeable man, and Kara found his wife Lois to be great company.

The excitement of her trip this year, however, was slightly dampened. Alex was home, heartbroken over her dismissal from Mrs. Arias’ company with no warning. The sisters had visited Mrs. Arias and Miss Luthor at Netherfield several times after the ball, though the latter hardly spoke with either woman, instead opting to condescendingly watch over their company. Despite this, Mrs. Arias had proven to be a great companion and offered to introduce Alex to high society in London. Then, a week later without explanation, she abandoned Netherfield and returned to London. Alex was devastated, and Kara was torn apart at the thought of leaving her sister in such a state.

The situation only worsened when Kara arrived at her cousin’s to find they had been invited to dine with his patroness Miss Lillian Luthor and her daughter Miss Lena Luthor, who was visiting from Derbyshire. The two women hardly spoke as the weeks passed, and Kara could barely contain the itchy feeling under her skin every time they were in the same room.

“How long does Miss Luthor intend to stay at Rosings?” Kara finally conceded one afternoon to her cousin. He looked up at her curiously and glanced out the window where Lena could be seen walking the Rosings’ gardens.

“I don’t know,” Clark finally answered, sitting forward in his chair slightly. “I heard she just returned from London, where she saved her friend just in time.”

Kara’s eyes darted to Clark, alarmed. “What happened?” she inquired.

“A woman looking to use her friend for an advantageous marriage, I believe,” Clark responded easily, and Kara froze.

“Who was the friend?” she asked slowly after a moment.

Clark furrowed his eyebrows but shrugged. “Her closest friend,” he informed her. “Mrs. Samantha Arias.”

Blinking back tears, Kara nodded and asked softly, “Do you know the reason for this interference?”

“I heard the woman was untrustworthy,” Clark offered. “But I know nothing else.”

Kara stood there stunned for a moment, almost unable to believe she had been dining with the same woman who had ruined her sister. To have deliberately sabotaged Alex’s chances to find a suitable match…

“I’m going for a walk,” she announced suddenly, and before her cousin could protest, she whipped out of the door. The sky was darkening as she walked along the path in the woods, heading aimlessly through the trees. When it began to pour, Kara stopped and stood there silently, trying to collect her thoughts. How could she ever face Lena again, knowing what she knew now. Her family could be tossed onto the streets if her or Alex didn’t find a worthy husband soon enough.

If she hadn’t insulted Kara after meeting her the first time, perhaps she would have been introduced to Mr. Luthor. Even if he were sick, Kara was sure she could prove it to be an advantageous union, just given the chance.

But Lena so firmly stood in the way of all her options.

A branch snapped behind her, and Kara whirled around, expecting to chide Clark for following her out into the rain when she needed to be alone. Instead she found a drenched Lena Luthor, looking at her almost helplessly. They both stared at each other in a standoff for several long moments, as if the world had come to a stop around them.

“Miss Danvers,” Lena began, her rain soaked face impenetrable to the thoughts that lay behind it. Her eyes were studying Kara carefully as she soothed her heart rate and gathered her mind around the hateful woman in front of her.

This woman insulted her and then insulted her sister by ruining her opportunities in society. Kara couldn’t imagine what they had left to say to each other.

“I have struggled in vain, and I can bear it no longer,” Lena continued, her voice becoming softer as Kara stiffened and clenched her jaw. “The past few months have been a torment; I returned to Rosings because I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgement, my mother’s expectations, the inferiority of your birth, and my rank and circumstance, but I’m willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony.”

Kara stared at her bewildered, mouth half-hanging open as she struggled to find the words to respond. “I don’t understand,” she finally stated faintly, wondering what exactly it was that she did to cause such a rise from the woman in front of her. She had done nothing since the moment they met to try to make herself invisible to her. To not interrupt her seemingly perfect life. What-

“I love you,” Lena confessed breathlessly, and the world around Kara seemed to tip over. “Most ardently,” she continued, her voice barely audible over the rain and tears swelling in her eyes as Kara stood stunned.

Kara's mind seemed to run faster than she could catch up to. She almost asked Lena to repeat what she had said because the words didn’t-- _couldn’t_ \--form any kind of sense in her mind. She half wondered if she had died and found herself in some strange form of the afterlife.

“I know it’s not traditional, but I can provide for you at Pemberley. Please… please do me the honor of accepting my hand,” Lena then strangled out, and this seemed to snap Kara’s mind back to the present. This was happening. This was really truly happening. Lena Luthor, the heiress, was asking for _her_ hand. As if that had ever been an option for Kara, despite her loathing of the woman in front of her.

“Miss Luthor,” Kara started slowly, gently. She didn’t fully realize she was saying the words until they were out of her mouth. “I appreciate the struggle you have gone through, and I apologize for any agony I have caused you, as it was unconsciously done,” she continued, her eyes boring through Lena’s with finality.

A beat after Kara finished speaking, the reality of her words hit Lena. She blinked once, her body becoming rigid.

“Is this your response?” she questioned, her voice remaining even in a tone that chilled Kara to her bone.

Kara licked her lips before she nodded confidently, hoping the woman could not see how much her body was shaking. “It is, miss.”

As the resolution settled in her eyes, Lena almost turned to leave, but stopped herself a moment later. “Are you laughing at me?” she asked, and Kara was taken off guard by how innocent the question sounded.

“No,” Kara answered easily, wishing the woman would just leave her with her jumbled thoughts.

“But you are rejecting me,” Lena confirmed, her eyes challenging Kara’s as her jaw clenched.

Before she could bite her tongue, Kara spat out, “I’m sure the feelings you expressed that hindered your regard will help in your overcoming them.”

The air between the two women tensed as Lena began to seethe at Kara’s words, but Kara held her ground, not willing to let the snake who ruined both her and Alex’s chances at saving their family have any sort of vindication.

“Might I ask why, with so little civility, I am thus repulsed?” Lena demanded, the words fuming out from around her teeth.

“And I might as well inquire why, with so evident design to insult me, you chose to tell me you liked me against your better judgement,” Kara replied angrily, taking a step towards Lena. “If I was uncivil then that is some excuse, but I have other reasons, you know I have.”

“What reasons?” Lena challenged immediately.

Kara stopped breathing heavily as she took in Lena staring at her intensely. “Do you think anything might tempt me to accept the woman who has ruined, perhaps forever, the happiness of a most beloved sister?” she then asked, and Lena’s face slowly fell, each one of Kara’s words landing a blow. “Do you deny it, Miss Luthor?”

Almost imperceivable, Lena shook her head.

“You ruined her chances to marry into high society, separating her from the only friend she’s ever felt comfortable enough to confide in,” Kara pushed, the edges of her eyes beginning to burn. “Our father could perish in the war, and you have sentenced my family to the streets,” she then continued as Lena flinched.

“I do not deny it,” Lena admitted immediately, and her eyes flitted up to meet Kara’s with regret.

Kara stared at her, staggered at the confession. “How could you do it?” she asked breathlessly, and Lena took a deep breath.

“I believed your sister untrustworthy,” Lena explained slowly. “Samantha gives away her secrets too easily. I’ve seen women destroy her for less than your sister was willing to give.”

“My sister is not other women!” Kara shot back. “She hardly shares anything with me. She is not a gossip, and you would have done well to take note of that had you spent more than a few moments with her to judge her character.”

“How could I trust her so when I must look out for my best friend’s best interest?” Lena challenged. 

“And what about your brother,” Kara then confronted, and she felt a chill pass through her body as she watched Lena’s posture still. “Are you looking out for his best interests as well?”

“My brother?” she questioned, her eyes ice cold, taking a warning step towards Kara.

Kara refused to back down from her advancement. “What excuse can you give for your behavior towards him?”

“Why do you take such an eager interest in my brother?” Lena demanded, her eyes clouded, and Kara flinched.

“I know what you’re doing,” Kara asserted with more confidence than she felt. Lena silently watched, as if she were trying to gauge her opponent. “You maintain his fortune so long as he never finds a wife. And if he’s too sick to leave Pemberley, you never have to find a husband.”

“So this is your opinion of me,” Lena gritted out, her body tense with anger. “I maintain my brother to his deathbed so I can lead the life I wish?”

Kara remained silent with confirmation.

“Thank you for explaining so fully,” Lena then relented, blinking back the tears in her eyes. “Perhaps these offenses might have been overlooked had your pride not been hurt by my honesty in admitting hesitation about our relationship. Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of our circumstance?” she inquired, her voice hard. She turned to leave, stomping back the way she came, but Kara couldn’t bear not having the last word. Not after she had been insulted as such.

She quickly followed Lena and yelled over the beating of the rain on the ground, “From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize you were the last woman in the world I could be prevailed upon to love.” She knew as soon as the words left her mouth, the cold rain soaking her clothes was not the source of the chill settling in her bones. She held her breath, waiting for the now frozen woman, standing with her back to her, to turn around and respond.

Lena turned slowly, and it was impossible for Kara to tell if there were tears on her glistening face. There was a faraway look about her eyes, as if she were now seeing Kara as a different person.

“Forgive me, madam,” she finally spoke, the words barely sounding through the storm, “for taking up so much of your time.”

Kara’s resolve dissolved from her body as Lena’s forlorn expression turned once again and retreated back towards Rosings. Kara blinked back her own tears and let her go without protest.

It was Astra who eventually convinced Kara to travel with her for a few months.

“You can’t spend your life cooped up here, waiting for an eligible man to come along,” her aunt had argued. “Alexandra is traveling to London; you should come with us.”

Kara sighed. She wanted to be happy for her sister, who was so excited to be invited to visit with Mrs. Arias’ company in London, but her heart seemed to ache every time she remembered Alex would see Lena there as well. Kara would consider herself past the grasp of her own fate should she ever come face to face with Miss Luthor again.

A change of scenery might do her some good, she finally concluded. Looking up at her aunt, who was watching her carefully, she shrugged. “What are men to rocks and mountains?” she stated. Eliza smiled and knowingly shared a look with Astra.

“That’s the spirit,” her aunt appraised, and Kara offered her a rueful smile.

The first few weeks of the trip passed peacefully. Kara knew Eliza had sent Astra with a mission to figure out what happened on her trip to Rosings. Kara had refused to speak of it since her return several months prior. But for the first part of the trip, her aunt thankfully didn’t try to elicit any information from her.

There wasn’t a day that had passed since that Kara didn’t lie awake at night thinking over her confrontation with Lena. In her mind, she analyzed every second of their conversation over and over again. Five words haunted her most cruelly.

_“I love you. Most ardently.”_

More concerning, Kara found with each passing day she would linger on more than just Lena’s words. She would remember the shape of her lips, her delicate, pale skin, her piercing eyes, her hair dark as midnight, her long fingers and full breasts. Kara would lay awake and think of Lena and what their life together that she had so violently protested would have offered her. The realization always made her feel sick to her stomach.

So she had never talked to anyone about it. Not about the proposal, or the argument, or the subsequent letter that had arrived for her a fortnight after her return to Longbourn. She remained quiet and pensive and mournful, and she kept the letter on her person every moment of every day as a reminder of what she had ruined for herself.

The trip with her aunt helped clear her mind and gain perspective. Perhaps, when she once again returned home, she could write to Lena, though she would never expect a response.

But that was a long way away. Kara found herself becoming lost in her current journey, taking in the sights but never their destinations. Appreciating the bountiful nature she found herself wandering every day.

“Where exactly are we?” she asked her aunt one day during lunch. Astra looked up almost in surprise. Kara wasn’t one to initiate conversation on their trip.

“Why, I think we’re quite near Pemberley,” she responded.

Kara paused at this information, sitting up. “Mr. Luthor’s home?” she asked breathlessly.

Nodding, Astra took another bite of her bread before confirming, “That’s the fellow. I’ve heard his estate is magnificent. I have an interest in seeing it.”

“Let’s not,” Kara responded immediately, and Astra blinked at the harsh response. “I’ve heard the poor Mr. Luthor has been ill for some time. I would hate to disturb him.”

“We wouldn’t disturb him,” Astra corrected her politely. “Whether he’s ill or not, he wouldn’t know we were there. There are staff who would show us around.”

Unable to fabricate any other excuse besides the truth of why she wished to avoid Pemberley, Kara soon found herself at her aunt’s mercy, pulling away in the carriage to visit the great estate. She could only pray the lady of the house was away for the day.

When they arrived outside the front of the estate, Kara stood and took it all in, and she almost wanted to laugh. The whole place exuded Lena. It was elegant and regal and beautiful beyond comparison, but there was a mystery and guarded air that surrounded it as well. Kara did well to bite back her tears as she climbed out of the carriage and greeted the housekeeper that had exited the front door.

“Welcome to Pemberley,” the housekeeper greeted. “I’m Mrs. Reynolds.”

Mrs. Reynolds led Kara and Astra through the large estate, and it didn’t take long for Kara to fall behind. She hadn’t known Lena cared so much about art. Her love for it shined in every corner of Pemberley, and Kara found herself stopping more and more to stare at each and every piece. Eventually, Astra and Mrs. Reynolds gave up on trying to encourage her to keep her pace.

Kara absentmindedly listened to Astra and the housekeeper discuss the residents of the estate. She didn’t have much to share about the master of the house, though Kara wasn’t surprised by this. Instead, the housekeeper kept returning to the subject of the master’s sister, and how she was the life force of the estate. Kara swallowed thickly after a while and forced herself to stop paying attention.

Towards the end of a gallery, Kara felt herself drawn in by a painting in which she recognized the subject immediately. She stood in front of it, staring at it lamely as she tried to blink back the tears in her eyes. She was so-

“This is she. Miss Luthor,” Mrs. Reynolds informed the women from behind Kara, blinking her away from her thoughts. Kara nodded and stared at the portrait of Lena with new clarity. She looked beautiful, and yet somehow the artist didn’t manage to capture every essence of her beauty. Like it was something unattainable by anything but the woman herself in the flesh. Kara swallowed thickly.

“What a beautiful young woman,” Astra commented, standing beside her niece. “Kara, is it true to her likeness?”

Kara felt both women accompanying her turn and stare at her. 

“Does the young lady know Miss Luthor?” Mrs Reynolds then asked excitedly, her eyes widening as she looked at Kara as if she were seeing her for the first time.

Kara pressed together her lips and stared into Lena’s piercing green eyes on the canvas. “Only a little,” she eventually murmured.

Letting out a satisfying sigh at this response, Mrs. Reynolds inquired, “Do you not think her one of the most exquisite ladies, miss?”

Kara felt her heart beating in her throat as she tried to even her voice. “Yes,” she answered quietly. “Yes, I daresay she is.” She paused then, soaking up every inch of this Lena and realizing she wished to see her again in person. “Is she at home?” she asked suddenly, but when she looked up and looked around, she found herself alone in the gallery, Astra and Mrs. Reynolds nowhere in sight.

Kara stopped, waiting rigidly as if someone would walk through the room at any moment and chide her for being alone. Eventually, however, Kara convinced her feet to move, and she found herself beginning to explore a side corridor. 

Every inch of this estate seemed to impress more than the last, and Kara eagerly drank up everything she could. Her traitorous mind began to wander. What would be like to wake up in this estate every morning? To walk in the gardens every day and spend all of her evenings in the library? What would her life be like if she could rewind the clock and say yes to Lena while the offer was still on the table? What would her life be like now if she hadn’t ruined everything those months ago?

“Miss Danvers!”

The voice caused her to freeze, and Kara slowly looked up to where Lena Luthor was standing at the other end of the hallway, a look of utter surprise donning her face.

Panic began to set in for Kara, as she glanced around the hallway and realized she _had_ been caught by the worst person she could imagine. Beginning to sputter, she tried to excuse her way out of the compromising position she had been found in. “I thought you were in London,” she explained hastily.

Lena stared at her for a hard long moment, before she finally let out a breath and began to walk towards Kara. “No,” she answered softly. She was stiff, but it wasn’t diminishing, as Kara used to perceive it. No, Lena Luthor was nervous, and it in turn ruined Kara’s nerves as well. “No, I’m not,” Lena then repeated, and Kara nodded slightly.

After a beat of tense silence, Kara finally took a sharp breath in and offered, “We would not have come if I knew I would disturb you.”

Before she had finished her explanation, Lena began to afford her account as well. “I returned early to attend to my goddaughter,” she spoke over Kara.

“Ruby?” Kara asked instinctively, remembering the name from Lena’s letter she had tucked in her corset.

Nodding, Lena looked almost relieved as she confirmed, “Yes.”

Kara smiled at her anxiously and shifted her weight slightly, trying to come up with a response. “I’m in Derbyshire with my aunt,” she finally expressed, for lack of any other update for Lena.

Lena’s fingers fiddled nervously as she accepted this information. “And are you having a pleasant trip?” she inquired politely, but her voice sounded strained.

“Very pleasant,” Kara answered easily, but she realized the conversation now was at its end. Both women continued to stare at each other, waiting for another segue. Kara finally broke as she admitted, “I got your letter.”

The atmosphere around them seemed to shift at just the allusion towards their last interaction. Lena stiffened, but the expression in her eyes became softer and more sincere. She nodded patiently.

“I had hoped you would,” she expressed, a small, amused smile beginning to form at the edge of her lips, but Kara could see the tension still coursing through her figure.

Ducking her head embarrassed, she eventually mumbled, “I just wanted to assure you that your trust in me is well guarded. I- I’m not going to disclose to anyone that…” Kara trailed off, unsure how to say what she had read in the contents of Lena’s letter.

Sighing, Lena offered Kara a grim smile and filled in the information for her. “That my brother never existed and this was all a ruse to inherit my father’s fortune?” she admitted, and to hear it out loud seemed to impact Kara more than she had expected. “Or that my dearest, closest friend is an unwed mother for which I fabricated a husband and income?”

Lena watched Kara expectantly, as if she were waiting for a reaction of sorts.

“Both,” Kara answered easily, and this seemed to satisfy the woman in front of her.

“Thank you for your assurance, Miss Danvers,” she acknowledged, “but I never doubted the merits of your loyalty.”

Kara suddenly felt flushed, and she knew her cheeks were visibly warming at the compliment. She waited for Lena to say anything else, but when nothing came, she recognized it was time to take her leave.

“I should return to my aunt,” Kara explained, slowly beginning to back away. 

“May I accompany you on the rest of the tour?” Lena then stepped forward, reaching out and clasping Kara’s hand gently.

“No,” Kara replied instinctively, ripping her hand from Lena’s. Her heartbeat was racing, but when she glanced at Lena’s disappointed expression, she rushed to correct herself. “I mean- I don’t wish to consume too much of your time.”

Lena pressed her lips together before she shrugged. “My time is yours to consume,” she insisted, and Kara felt short of breath as her eyes met Lena’s.

“Miss Luthor!” Mrs. Reynolds' voice came from behind Lena. Kara reflexively took a step back from Lena to create some visual room between the two of them, but this time, Lena didn’t seem to mind. “I did not realize you returned today.”

“Mrs. Reynolds,” Lena greeted amicably. “I was just telling Miss Danvers I should like to accompany you for the rest of the tour.”

Mrs. Reynolds nearly beamed at this before she suggested, “You know the estate better than I, miss. Perhaps you would like to share your knowledge as well as your company.”

“Of course,” Lena agreed, and before Kara could protest, her hand was in Lena’s again as she was being dragged down the hallway. “Come. I’ll show you my private gallery.”

Astra was so enthralled by Lena throughout the tour, she insisted she ride back to town with them in the evening for a drink at the pub. Kara was almost certain Lena would decline the invitation, given her aversion towards crowds previously, but to her surprise, Lena agreed with almost no hesitation.

When they arrived at the inn and pub, Astra retreated to their room to refreshen, leaving Kara and Lena alone once again. They both remained in a comfortable silence in a corner of the bustling room. Every so often, Lena’s fingers grazed Kara’s, and every time the feeling sent a jolt of fire through Kara’s body.

“I’m sorry for everything I said to you,” Kara admitted suddenly, and Lena blinked up at her in surprise. “And I’m sorry I was too proud and embarrassed to respond to your letter.”

Lena quickly shook her head and dismissed Kara’s claims. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of your family before my actions. How can I fault you for the same loyalty I feel towards Samantha and Ruby?”

Swallowing thickly, Kara nodded at this and her fingers entangled in Lena’s tightly. When she glanced up at the woman opposite of her, she could tell her breaths were shallow and Kara felt her heart leap up into her throat. 

“Lena, what I said that day,” Kara started, and Lena’s eyes widened in anticipation. “I didn’t mean-”

“Kara, you have a letter from Alexandra,” her aunt announced, coming up upon the two women, and their hands quickly fell to their sides.

“Alex?” Kara questioned, shaking her head from the daze she found herself in. She felt her spirits lifting however, at the thought of hearing from her sister, so giddily she led their trio back into their room so Kara could read in privacy.

As soon as the door was closed behind her, Kara had unsealed the letter and began to skim through it. When she hit the third line of the letter, she froze. Slowly she looked up at the other two occupants of the room in horror.

Both women stared back at her, their faces morphing into concern.

“Kara? What is it, dear?” Astra inquired gently, worry filling her voice.

Kara’s mouth hung open as a single tear fell down her cheek. She felt numb as she began to shake her head. “Father is dead,” she finally disclosed breathlessly, and Astra immediately rushed over to her niece as Lena covered her mouth aghast. 

Clinging to her aunt, Kara let out a horrific sob, the letter crumpling in her hand. “We are ruined. Father is dead, and my cousin will turn us out the moment he learns. We have nowhere to go, no connections,” she cried, burying her head in her aunt’s shoulder.

When she pulled back Lena was standing just behind Kara’s aunt, as if she were afraid to intrude on the moment.

“Surely your cousin won’t turn you out so quickly?” she then asked quietly, her eyes staring intensely at Kara. 

“We can’t afford it,” Kara argued, shaking her head. “He would be a fool to let us remain there for nothing.”

Blinking back her own tears, Lena confessed, “This is my fault. If I hadn’t cut off your connections-”

“No, it is my fault,” Kara corrected her, unable to allow Lena to place any blame on herself. “I ignored my responsibility to find a husband all these years, and now nothing can be done. We’ve not the smallest hope.”

“I could help you,” Lena then tried, a bit desperately, but Kara shook her head.

“I think it is too late.”

Tears pooling in her eyes, Lena sighed defeated and hung her head. Kara reached out and squeezed her hand, and Lena looked up at her, hard expression donned. “I will leave you,” she then announced hesitantly. Kara could tell she wanted to stay, but she knew Kara would need to pack to head straight away towards Longbourn. Regretfully, Kara let her go. 

When she reached the door, Lena paused and turned back to meet Kara’s eyes. She didn’t say anything then. Just silently slipped out of the room

Clark offered to allow them to stay in the house as long as necessary. The Danvers women were grateful, but wary. What had possessed Kara’s cousin to give up such a profitable move? It felt as if their life existed in a delicate balance now that could be disrupted at any moment.

Clark and Lois both visited for an afternoon on their way to London. When Kara got Lois alone, she decided to understand their decision.

“Why have you two remained at Hunsford? Really,” Kara insisted, “you don’t have to do us this charity-”

“I would hardly call it charity,” Lois interrupted with a strange smile and shaking her head. “Not after what the Luthors-” Realizing her mistake, Lois stopped herself and froze. Trying to not give herself away, she countered, “Oh. Never mind.”

“The Luthors?” Kara perked up, wondering what Lois had been about to expose.

Looking at her seriously, Lois sighed and confided, “I wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

“About what, Lois?” Kara demanded, holding her breath.

“Promise me you won’t gossip,” Lois pushed her, and she waited until once she received her word from Kara to continue. “Miss Luthor showed up to Hunsford one morning to request our audience. She explained to us how she heard we might be considering abandoning Lady Lillian’s patronage to acquire Longbourn. In an effort to persuade us to stay, she offered us an extra one thousand a year.”

Kara blinked and then shook her head. “Why would she do such a thing?” she questioned allowed, wrinkling her forehead.

“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Lois commented, and Kara’s stomach churned guiltily.

Alex hummed happily to herself that night as she prepared herself for bed. Kara stayed up on her bed, fidgeting. She had decided it was time to confide in her sister all that had happened between herself and Miss Luthor. Perhaps Alex would have an approach Kara had not thought of yet. She wished to put the whole thing from her mind, but Lena had a persistent presence. She was to thank for all the fortune Kara had in her life, and yet she was still the cause of all of her strife. It was maddening the hold this woman had over her.

She sat there for several minutes working up the courage to confess to her sister, but just as she opened her mouth to begin, Alex paused and inquired, “What is that?”

Kara closed her mouth and stilled as well, listening carefully. Very faintly, in the distance, a carriage could be heard approaching.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Alex donned her robe and went towards the door. “No one uses this lane at night unless they’re visiting,” she stated, and Kara was seemingly frozen in fear.

“What do you think it is?” she asked softly, but her sister had already departed from the room. Kara could do nothing but follow.

As they reached the front door, the carriage was pulling up to the front of the house and Eliza was joining her daughters at the door. When they opened it, they were surprised to find an older, regal looking woman.

“Lady Lillian,” Kara stated; she stood up alarmed and quickly bowed, her mother and sister following suit immediately. Mrs. Luthor barely acknowledged the trio initially, taking a slow gaze around the room before turning her attention back to Mrs. Danvers.

“You have a very small garden, madam,” she pointed out, and Eliza stiffened but smiled easily, allowing the criticism to roll past her with such grace, Kara almost questioned it aloud.

“Can I offer you a cup of tea?” Eliza diverted, and Lady Lillian pressed her lips together.

“I need to speak with Miss Kara Danvers alone,” she finally announced. “As a matter of great urgency,” she added, and Kara felt as if her chest were about to burst with the sudden fear that struck her.

Glancing up at her mother and sister who turned to her worriedly, Kara slowly nodded and entered the room with Lillian, closing the door softly behind her. She knew the moment they were out of sight, their ears would be pressed tightly to the door, but she worried about what they might overhear.

When she was standing in front of Lady Lillian, she forced herself not to shake, but she held her breath.

“You can be at no loss, Miss Danvers, to understand why I’m here,” Lady Lillian began, and Kara widened her eyes and glanced up at her.

“Indeed you are mistaken,” she insisted, pleading with the lady. “I cannot account for this honor at all.”

“Miss Danvers, I warn you,” Lady Lillian pushed, a sharp edge to her voice, “I am not to be trifled with. A report of the most alarming nature has reached me that you intend to be united with my daughter. I believe it to be a falsehood, but I traveled here to make my sentiments known.”

Kara began sweating as the words hit her. How did her ladyship know? Had Lena told her? Or someone else?

Either way, she could not betray any validity of the claim. It was a false claim regardless, Kara reminded herself. No matter how much Kara wished to the contrary. 

“If you believed it to be impossible, I wonder why you traveled so far,” Kara then mused in hopes of diverting the focus of the conversation, and her ladyship became indignant.

“To hear it contradicted,” Lady Lillian stated harshly, glaring at the woman in front of her.

It took everything in Kara not to cower and to respond instead, “Your coming would be rather a confirmation.”

Becoming frustrated, Lady Lillian took a step forward. “Can you declare there is no foundation for such a claim?” she demanded. Kara blinked and gritted her jaw.

“I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your ladyship,” she responded stubbornly. “You may ask a question which I may choose not to answer.” She couldn’t give away her feelings to her ladyship, but Kara also found herself determined not to deny them out loud. The action would make her loss too painful.

Huffing, Lady Lillian stomped her foot. “Has my daughter made you an offer of marriage?”

“Your ladyship has declared it to be impossible,” Kara shot back, tears burning at the edge of her eyes.

“Let me be understood!” her ladyship challenged, stepping forward again and towering over Kara. “My daughter is headstrong and foolish. She thinks she is invincible to the world, but one day it will catch up to her. I protect her as well as possible, but if she weds you, I cannot promise it wouldn’t be her downfall. If you care about my daughter, you will refuse her hand. Do you wish two decades of deceit so she could inherit what was rightfully hers to be spoiled by a young woman of inferior birth? Selfish girl. Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?”

Kara’s throat felt dry after the lady’s speech. She stared at her, keeping her face impassive, but she was sure she was visibly shaking now, barely holding in her anxiety. 

“Now tell me once and for all: are you engaged to her?” Lady Lillian pushed again, leaving no room to avoid her answer.

A single tear fell from Kara’s eye as she swallowed thickly and shook her head. “I am not,” she replied, voice strained.

“And will you promise to never enter such an engagement?” Lady Lillian continued.

Feeling one last burst of indignation, Kara puffed up and declared, “I will not and certainly never shall.” Lillian blinked back in surprise. “You have insulted me in every possible way and now can have nothing further to say. I must ask you to leave immediately,” Kara then ordered, and Lillian stiffened her jaw, watching Kara carefully.

Leading her back over to the front of the room, Kara yanked the doors open to find Eliza and Alex standing there and jumping back startled. Kara didn’t acknowledge them and instead sent a pointed look back towards Lillian. Raising her chin slightly, Lady Lillian had the good sense to leave without a word.

“Goodnight,” Kara wished bitterly on her way out, and Lillian paused to look Kara in the eyes. For a split second, Kara saw her eyes soften in an apology, before she swept out of the room.

As she exited Longbourn, both Alex and Eliza’s eyes were trained solely on Kara.

“Kara, what on earth is going on?” Eliza questioned concerned, trying to take a step towards her daughter, but Kara dodged the gesture and headed straight for the stairs.

“It’s just a small misunderstanding,” she insisted, unable to meet her mother’s eye. Not now. Not after that.

“Kara?” Alex inquired quietly, but Kara dismissed her as well.

“Just leave me alone!” she cried, before stomping up the stairs.

She couldn’t sleep that night. Her mind was filled with visions of Lady Lillian’s words. Would she bring about Lena’s ruin should she pursue her any longer? Was there a possibility Lena still wished to pursue Kara as well? There had been a moment, those months ago in the quiet corner of the pub, Kara had wondered… Maybe Lena still felt the same connection she had. Maybe she would still be open to her.

Was it selfish to only want one thing in her entire life?

Her thoughts plagued her in a never ending cycle. One that filled her with hope and guilt and worry. Eventually, she could stand it no longer. Quietly she slipped from her bed and snuck away down the stairs, hoping not to disturb the maids as they completed their morning chores. She managed to silently open the front door and slip out without causing a fuss, and the moment she was away from the house where Lady Lillian had confronted her, an immediate sense of relief washed over her. 

Closing her eyes, Kara let out a long sigh and tilted her head backwards, breathing the fresh air in deeply.

A moment later she began to walk down their lane, no destination in mind, but rather with the goal to clear her mind completely of Lillian and Lena and instead replace them with thoughts of quiet.

She was a half a mile down the road when she realized this would be an impossible feat, for riding towards her was the woman in question herself: Miss Luthor.

Kara stopped, wondering if she were dreaming for a moment, but when Lena stopped in front of her on the road, and immediately slipped off her horse, Kara knew this, in fact, was anything but a dream. She resisted her urge to cry.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, anticipation in the air they were both anxious to act on.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Kara finally broke first, and Lena nodded, agreeing with her.”

“Nor I. My mother-”

Choking and nodding, Kara confirmed, “Yes, she was here.”

Ducking her head in embarrassment, Lena pleaded, “How can I ever make amends for such behavior?”

“After what I suspect you did for my sister and my family?” Kara stated, and Lena looked up at her in surprise. “It is I who should be making amends.”

“You must know,” Lena began, furrowing her eyebrows. “Surely you must know it was all for you,” she explained gently, and Kara blinked her tears back as she nodded. “You are too generous to trifle with me,” Lena then continued taking Kara’s hands in her own. “I believe you spoke with my mother last night, and it has taught me to hope as I had scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you would silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I would have to tell you, you have bewitched me body and soul, and I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

Kara let out a choked sob and a small laugh, the reality of Lena’s words not quite settling with her in the moment. “All of this for a girl you could hardly call pretty?” she quipped instead, and Lena glanced at her with a strange expression before she recognized the reference.

Shaking her head, she stated sincerely, “Handsome.” Kara’s breath caught as she continued, “Beautiful. Alluring. ‘Pretty’ has always been too small minded of a word to describe you, Miss Danvers.” She took Kara’s hands up to her mouth and kissed them bashfully.

Overcome with love in that moment, Kara tugged Lena closer until their foreheads touched. “I believe I’ll be spending my whole life trying to find one word that lives up to your beauty, Miss Luthor,” she murmured softly, and Lena tried to pull back in surprise at Kara’s word, but Kara stopped her effectively with a soft kiss.

Lena froze, letting out a soft cry before she wrapped her arms around Kara and pulled herself in tightly as Kara held her close.

“I love you too,” Kara murmured afterwards, and Lena buried her head in her neck happily.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to yell at me on [tumblr](https://semperpugnandi.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/semperpugnandi)


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